Filing device



Jan. 19, 1932. DOUGl-[TY 1,842,077

FILING DEVICE Filed July 9, 1931 Elvweutoz 3 m 5 @51 a t WWW I 2 mm, WWW.

Patented Jan. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE E. DOUGHTY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE COOKE 8: COBB COM- PANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FILING DEVICE Application filed July 9,

The present invention relates to filing de vices and aims to provide certain improvements therein. More particularly it relates to a rigid casingfor removably holding and housing a conventional form of expanding file, which latter, when filled to capacity, may be removed and permanently stored, and a new expanding pocket file inserted in its place within the casing, thus permitting the casing to be used over and over again by renewing the expanding file when filled.

According to the present invention I provide a box-like casing adapted'to open on its back, having means for removably and detachably holding the ordinary type of expanding pocket file therein. The cooperative engagement between the casing and the file is such that when the casing is opened, the expanding file will open therewith into distended position and will functionally operate to hold the casing in open position upon its back and thereby in a single operation present the filing device ready for use. The bringing together of the box-like sections of the casing functions in a reverse sense to simultaneously contract the file and close the casing. The invention also includes other features of novelty which will be hereinafter more fully described.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the filing device embodying the present invention, a part thereof being broken away to show a detail of the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the filing device in open position, parts thereof being broken away to show details of construction.

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially along the plane of the line 38 of 2. i

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially along the plane of the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional form of expanding pocket file adapted for use with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the filing device comprise .a casing composed of two rigid box-like sections, each having an end member 10, two side members 11, a back member 12 and a top member 13 and 13a, respectively. The box-like sections are hingedly connected together at their back members by fabric hinge elements 120, and 126, it being understood, however, that any suitable form of hinge may be substituted in lieu of said fabric elements. In a similar manner the top members 13 and 13a are hingedly connected to the end members by fabric hinge elements 14. The top members 13 and 13a are of somewhat different character and are constructed so that when the box sections are in closed position the top members will overlap to provide a dust-proof joint for the sections at said point. To accomplish this the top member 13a is of a width to span the side members 11 of both sections, as best shown in Fig. 1, a part 13?) of said top member which overlies the section to which it is attached being of greater thickness than the portion 130 thereof which overlies the other section, and the top member 13 being of a width and thickness to overlie the. portion 130 and provide a flush surface with the top of the portion 13?). To hold the casing sections in closed position any suitable latching means, such as 15, may be provided. It will be understood that the casing sections may be made of any de sired material, such as wood, fibre or the like, and that in closed position the side members will be in abutting relation to provide a dustproof housing for the expanding file therein.

The casing thus described is designed for cooperative use with a conventional form of expanding pocket file, such as 16 shown in Fig. 5, said expanding file having end members 16a, 16b, expansible sides 16c and partition sheets 16a, which provide the file with expansible pockets. As is conventional, the upper edges of the side walls 160 may be reinforced with fabric or paper strips 16f, and the end member 16a provided with a cover flap 16;; which is adapted to overlie the open ends of the pockets and part of the end member 16?) when the file-is in collapsed condition.

For removably holding the expandin file 16 within the casing in a manner such that when the casing is opened the expanding file will open therewith into distended position to present the same ready for use, anchoring means are provided on the end members 10 of the casing sections for cooperative holding engagement with the end members of the expanding file. As herein shown these anchoring members are of two different forms, the one 17 being in the form of a rigid bar extending across the inner face of one of the end members 10 near the top thereof in slightly spaced relation thereo; andthe other anchoring means being in the form of clips 18 which are pivotally mounted at 18a to the inner face of the other end member 10 in proximity to the juncture points of the side members with the top member. The anchoring means 17 is adapted to receive and hold the cover flap 16g of the expanding file when said latter cover member is bent back over the end member 16a of said file, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The anchoring means 18 are adapted to engage over the inner face of the end member 166 of the file to hold said end member against the inner face of the end member provided with the anchoring means 18. The manner in which the end member 16?) is held within the casing will be readily appreciated from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3.

From the manner in which the end members of the expanding file are held within the box-like sections by the anchoring means 17 and 18 it will be at once apparent that as the casing sections are opened, the expanding file will be opened simultaneously therewith, and as the casing sections are closed or brought together, the expanding file will simultaneously be collapsed. The casing, together with its expanding file when open to the position shown in Fig. 2, will be retained in said open position supported upon the back members 12 by the side walls 166 of the expanding file which limit the extent to which the casing sections can be opened.

In view of the character of the hinge connection between the back members 12 of the casing sections and the groove provided therebetween when in open position, there is a tendency for the bottom wall of the expanding file when loaded with file papers to sink into said groove and thus prevent proper closing of the casing sections. To overcome this I provide the casing with a stri p of flexible material 19, such asleathered press board or fibre. which extends across the hinged joint and functions to support the bottom of the expanding file across said joint. Preferablv the flexible strip 19 is carried by the inner face of one of the back sections and in unattached to the other section and free to accommodate itself to the movements of the file.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that I have provided a filing device with which the ordinary cheap expanding pocket file can be used, which latter, when filled to capacity, may be removed. and permanently stored, and a new regular expanding pocket file inserted in its place within the casing. Vith such filing device substantial economy in use is realized and efficiency in operation is attained.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention 1 do not wish to be limited to the details of construction disclosed, since it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A filing device comprising a box-like casing adapted to be supported on its back in opening position having hingedly connected. sections, an expanding pocket file reinovably held within said casing, and means for removably holding the file within the casing, the cooperative relation between the casing sections and the file when the file is held within the casing being such that as the casing is opened, the expanding file will be opened into distended position and will functionally operate to hold the casing in open position upon its back.

2. A filing device comprising a box-like casing adapted to be supported on its back inopening position having hingedly connected sections, an expanding pocket file removably ield within said casing, and each section having an anchoring means for detachably holding an end section of the expanding file, the opening of the sections when the casing is supported on its back serving to simultaneously open and distend the file pockets, the casing being adapted to be supported in open position on its back by the cooperative action of the anchoring means and expanding side walls of the file.

8. A filing device comprising a casing composed of two rigid box-like sections hingedly connected together at the back of the casing, each box-like section having means for detachably engaging an end member of an expanding file for holding said file within said casing in a manner such that the file will open and close with the opening and closing of the casing, one of said fileengaging means being mounted to engage the inner face of one of the end members of the file.

4. A filing device comprising a casing composed of two rigid box-like sections hingedly connected together at the back of the casing, each box-like section having means for detachably engaging an end member of an expanding file having a cover flap, for holding said file within said casing on a manner such that the file will open and close with the opening and closing of the casing, one of said file-engaging means being mounted to engage the cover flap of the file.

5. A filing device comprising a casing composed of two rigid box-like sections hingedly connected together at the back of the casing, and a flexible strip of material extending across the hinged joint adapted for supporting the bottom of an expanding file within the casing and preventing the jamming of said file bottom within said hinged joint when closing the casing.

6. A filing device comprising a casing composed of two rigid box-like sections hingedly connected together at the back of the casing, and a flexible strip of material carried by one of the sections and normally extending across the hinged joint adapted for supporting the bottom of an expanding file within the casing and preventing the jamming of said file bottom within said hinged joint when closing the casing.

7 A filing device comprising a casing composed of two rigid box-like sections each having an end member, two side members, a top member and a back member, said sections being hingedly connected together at their back members, and having their top members hingedly connected to their respective end members, one of said top members being of a width to span both side members, the other top member being adapted to overlie a part or" the first top member, and means for latching the casing sections together with their top members in overlapping position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

GEORGE E. DOUGHTY. 

